Sep 2, 2018 1 min read

The Observer-Reporter’s Aug. 18 editorial about California University of Pennsylvania’s parking garage was a “miss,” and your readers deserve to know the facts.

While it is true that Cal U. accepted a contract for constructing the garage using concrete reinforced with carbon fiber, the university did so for good reason.

As the lawsuit against the contractor states, this option was presented as “an innovative breakthrough in precast concrete technology” that would “reduce corrosion, weigh less, and last longer than conventional cast-in-place concrete or steel-reinforced precast parking structures” and would produce “a parking structure with exceptional durability, longevity, and economy.”

Cal U. was looking for the most effective and longest-lasting option. The carbon-fiber-reinforced product was not the least expensive option, but it appeared to offer the best value overall.

California University has filed a lawsuit because it does expect to get what it paid for – a reliable parking facility that will be safe for its students, employees and guests.

Christine Kindl

Kindl is vice president for communications and marketing at California University of Pennsylvania.